Category :Front Page News

In light of recent events, we would like to send our heartfelt sadness and profound solidarity and support to our friends, colleagues and the wider community in the USA. The murder of George Floyd, alongside countless other black Americans, has once again highlighted to the world that racism is deeply rooted in all our institutions and communities. In light of this murder and other unnecessary acts of grievous and unconscionable violence, we are resolved to do more, as educators, to fight prejudice in all its forms, question our role in this and be determined to bring about positive change to eradicate racism and prejudice in all its forms.

Our curriculum is deeply rooted in developing community and building social equity and we have never shied away from facing and challenging what is unacceptable in our global, national and local community. We believe that the knowledge we acquire becomes powerful only when it is used to bring about positive social change so that we become better people and our world becomes a better place. As such, as a Trust, we feel it our responsibility to do more; not just to speak out against prejudice and injustice but be determined to do more to actively change the way we work, how we work, what we learn and how we affect positive change.

Our students already learn about racial inequality by studying the role of the British in the formulation of the slave trade and their part in the triangular trading of humans in the 18th century. We link this to the inhumane treatment of black communities in the USA in the 19th and 20th Centuries and their suffering at the hands of perverse attitudes and laws during this time. We study and celebrate the Civil Rights movement in the USA and the significant role it played, and continues to play, in fighting for equality and justice. Also, in Crew sessions across our Trust, there is a strong focus on equity justice and we constantly promote respect and tolerance.

However, we feel that we could do much more to highlight and change the systemic and institutional racism that exists in our own country by focusing more on how and why black people have been historically and more recently let down by our institutions and systems in the UK.

Therefore, today we pledge to review our curriculum at all phases, as well as our own understanding of racism, to integrate more consciously opportunities to educate our students about racial injustice. We will use experts to support us to challenge and confront racism and through this learning act to bring about more equity in our communities.

We stand with our friends who are fighting this injustice in the USA, in the UK and the wider world.

We stand with our friends and we pledge to act and do more to reflect on the history and actions of our own communities and institutions in the UK and how we can actively make them more socially equitable and more just for all.

Have you got any photos of anything you have cooked or baked during lockdown? Perhaps a pizza, a cake or perhaps you’ve made your family some tea? Could you write a sentence to tell us about it? The deadline is fast approaching for your photos to be published in our Key Stage One book which will go in the Plover time capsule. We don’t want anyone to miss out!

Send your photo to mlotysz@ploverschool.co.uk. When we receive your entry your name will be entered into a special prize draw! If you have already submitted one, please don’t worry, your name has already been entered! Entries must be received by Friday 12th June.

As you are aware, due to an increase in demand, we welcomed more children of key worker parents and carers back to school on Monday. It was lovely to see some more smiley faces coming into school and we can’t praise the children enough for how they have embraced the new school setup and followed the rules on social distancing and increased hygiene.

We are hoping to extend our provision further from Monday 15th June to those children in F1 (Nursery), F2 (Reception) and Year 1 who had previously requested a place via the online school survey and have subsequently had a confirmation of a place. At this time, due to capacity, we are unable to extend this offer to Year 6 however we will continue to look for ways to bring them back before the end of the school year although sadly this is not something we can guarantee at the moment.

This extension of this provision from Monday 15th June will not be confirmed however until Friday 12th June as we await medical advice from Dr Rupert Suckling, Director of Public Health Doncaster. Parents/carers of the children who have a confirmed place in these groups will receive a phone call next Friday giving further information as well as giving an opportunity to ask any questions.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give any further information about other year groups at this time as we continue to plan on a daily basis taking into account advice from the Department For Education, Local Authority and other professionals associated with Covid 19.

Thank you for your continued support and remember to contact the school office if you have any questions or worries. Don’t forget to encourage your child to join the weekly class hangout with their teacher too!

Just a reminder the deadline for interest is now Friday at 4pm. We will not be sending out order forms to select sizes and colours until we know how many children would like a hoodie (the more that order, the cheaper they are). Once numbers and final prices have been confirmed, you’ll turn be able to select sizes and colours from an order form 🙂

On Monday 8th June, at 10am, we will be holding an online quiz for Year 6’s with prizes to be won via google hangout. This will be a fantastic way to catch up with your friends virtually and have the chance to be the Year 6 quiz champion. The questions will be a mix of topics to suit all! It would be great to see as many of you as possible join in. If you would like to join in, please pop me an email ablackham@ploverschool.co.uk and I will send you an invite and instructions!

The amazing Leicester Patron of Reading, Steve Skidmore, has launched his very own story writing competition especially for Off School!

Take your mind into an Imaginary world using the hints and tips Steve has put together in the series of four videos below containing great advice and ideas and watch Steve’s competition launch video with all the competition details you’ll need. There are great prizes to be won for each Key Stage (KS): KS1, Lower KS2, Upper KS2 and KS3!

Prizes include a signed book AND the opportunity to have your story read on video by Steve himself!

Ready to take the challenge? Head to the Competition Zone on offschool.org.uk to enter! Your child’s entry can be submitted via the ‘Submit your Entry’ button at the bottom of the ‘Current Competition’ page. Either upload an electronic file of your story OR a photographed image of a handwritten story (ensuring that we can read this clearly).

https://shortaudition.com/Don-t-Unleash-The-Beast
Calling all 10-12 year olds! Mrs Ogle’s friend is creating a game for a new TV show on CITV and he needs 10-12 year olds to be a part of it! If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a problem solver on TV then please click the above link to apply.

As we continue to teach a lot of our children online through either ‘Evidence Me’ or ‘Google Classroom’ we would like to extend our contact further by a weekly ‘Google Classroom Hangout’.

Every teacher will host a weekly class catch-up as per the details in the table below.

Please encourage your child to join this as regular contact with their friends and class teacher will help them continue to feel a part of their school community. This will also support with the the safeguarding monitoring we are required to do during this time.